Marlene Wallace: Champion of Gaia
by fan.writer.in.disguise
Summary: She aspired to be a hero, just like her father, Cloud, Tifa, and the others. Now she that she has the chance, Marlene wonders what exactly she agreed too. Timetravel!AU
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: What, another story? I can hear the yelling now, but this has been sitting on the old hard drive for a while, and I finally have the courage to post it. No, it's not finished, so updates may be far between, but I rarely abandon a story… completely…

Anyways, I just want to add that the events of DOC haven't happened in this story, only because I haven't played it myself, I feel uncomfortable writing about what I don't know completely. So, no Deep Ground or anything in this story. At the moment.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters from the multiple games, movies, and OVAs.

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Taking the first step <strong>

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><p>I could hear the rain falling, though all I could see was darkness. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the blackness, but instead of anything familiar, all that was visible was small pinpoints of lights…<p>

Stars, I realized, astonished. Not just in the sky, but all around me, I twisted in space, falling slowly. It was so beautiful, more mesmerizing than Nanaki's planetarium. I wasn't just watching it from a small room, I was _in_ space! I didn't care how, or why, I was too engrossed in watching the stars spin around me.

_Watch!_

I frowned at the familiar voice, but turned to see a star rush past me, close enough I could feel stardust brushing my skin. No, it wasn't a star I realized, a comet, a meteor.

Suddenly the bright white comet turned a malicious dark red as a planet appeared. I could only watch in fear as the meteor broke into three different pieces. One slowly turned back into a beautiful comet, but faded before reaching the planet. The second piece hit the planet, but instead of causing any destruction, I could see the planet taking it and absorbing it. The last piece, however was growing even darker, bigger than the original meteor.

I wanted to close my eyes as the Planet's Lifestream appeared, my memories overwhelming me. Meteor destroying Midgar, all the death and destruction that followed afterwards. However, I had to watch as the pitch-black meteor pushed through the Lifestream and plowed into the planet's surface. Great crevasses appeared on the planet's surface like a spider web. Right before my eyes, the planet slowly died, turning black as it fell to pieces.

_You understand this?_

I shook my head, "No… No! That didn't happen!"

_Not as fast, but it is happening. Soon, he will win! If you don't stop it, all it will be lost. _

"How can I do anything!" I yelled, looking around for the owner of the voice. "I'm not like Cloud or Tifa! I'm not like daddy! I'm not a hero!"

"You're stronger than you think, Marlene." I was no longer floating among the stars, but standing in a moonlit field of flowers. Aerith was standing before me, just as I remembered her. It only took a moment before I was in her arms, hugging her tightly, once more a six year old girl. She returned the hug before taking a step back and stooping to my level. "We need your help."

I shook my head again, guilt and fear bothering my stomach. "I can't do anything, Aerith. I'm just a kid!"

Aerith smiled gently as she brushed back my bangs, "You're stronger than you realize. You can do it; you just need to try…"

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" Denzel asked as he pulled to a stop outside of the deserted Church. Before he deployed the kickstand, I jumped off the old motorcycle happily removing the stifling helmet everyone insisted I wore.

"Nope!" I turned back to Denzel with a grin on my face. I wasn't even sure why I was here, but ever since that weird dream two weeks ago, I had this strong urge to visit Aerith's church. Over ten years ago, this is where Denzel and the other children found a cure for Geostigma, and when Cloud stopped 'dilly-dallying' as Tifa put it. We all visited once in a while, some times as a group, sometimes by ourselves. But, this is the first time Denzel and I came without one of the Avalanche members with us.

Denzel frowned as he took off his own helmet, looking up at the church nostalgically, probably remembering his fight with Geostigma. "Could…" I started out nervous, knowing he was probably object to my request. After all, it took all the begging and pleading I could before Tifa and Cloud let us visit here without supervision. "Could you wait out here?"

Denzel's blue eyes instantly snapped to mine, a frown crossing his face. "No! I promised Cloud that I'd look after you!"

"And you did!" I instantly added, "I'm really thankful that you came to Midgar with me, but… I need some time to myself. I promise I'll yell if I need help!" I clasped my hands together and gave him the best puppy-eye expression I could. Just like his role model, it didn't take long before he caved in with a sigh, and mimicked Cloud by running his fingers through his hair.

"Fine," he conceded, before hastily adding: "but if you take longer than ten minutes, I'm coming in!"

"Thank you Denzel!" I gave him a quick hug before rushing into the church, pushing the old doors with barely any problem.

Instantly, the smell of flowers and the calm lake soothed any worries away. There was that familiar feeling of coming home as I walked down the aisle of benches towards the small lake surrounded by yellow and white flowers. The child in me urged me to rush to the flowers, but I restrained myself to a quick walk before gently kneeling down at the flower bed edge.

Now what? My mind wandered as I traced the flower petals. Was that strong need for me to visit just to keep Aerith's memory alive, as Tifa had suggested when I confided in her? But that dream felt so real, but maybe I was right. Maybe I wasn't special.

It was a thought that had saddened me on and off over the last couple years. I was only sixteen, but I felt like maybe nothing special would ever happen to me. Had my childhood been the most interesting part of my life? Even then, I hadn't done anything; I was just… there, as everyone around me became heroes. Was it silly that I wanted to be just like them?

"You are prepared?" I looked up, surprised when I saw a woman standing by the Buster Sword, stuck in the ground among the flowers. Slowly, I stood up, studying the woman. I'd never seen her before, she had long, fine golden hair, and a white flowing dress. She looked up from the sword, revealing bright blue eyes and a golden tiara holding back her bangs.

"Prepared for what?" I asked, even though I really meant to ask, "_who are you?_ "

"Aerith informed you already of our plea," she said, slowly walking towards me. "Avalanche has stopped Sephiroth time and again. However, they only won the battles and not the war that grips us."

I held my breath as she stepped onto the water, easily walking atop it as if it were glass. I took a few steps back, much more wary of her. "Who are you?" I finally asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.

"I am Minerva," she answered, her cold expression warming slightly. "And you, Marlene, are to be our champion, just like Aerith before you." She stopped a few feet in front of me, the mako glow of her deep blue eyes apparent this close. "We've given you the gift of the Cetra. Do you promise to use it to save Gaia?"

I wasn't entirely sure why, but I nodded my head. Was this real, I questioned internally. Or was I having another vivid dream?

Either way, I still wanted to be a hero.

Minerva's smile grew as she took off her tiara, holding it in one had before popping out the large sapphire jewel in the middle. The jewel glowed brightly before a silver chain grew from it, turning it into a pendent on a fine necklace. She held out the necklace after replacing her now jewel-less crown. "Take this; it will guide and connect you to Gaia as if you were her child."

Warily, I took the gem, surprised by how warm it was. There was a sudden rush of bravery and fearlessness that flooded my veins, assuring me that I could achieve my dream. I carefully hung it around my neck, the gem providing warmth as it hung above the neckline of my white shirt. I looked back at Minerva, a courageous smile on my face. "What do you need me to do?"

The smile on her face dimmed slightly. "You saw how the meteor, the Crisis, split into three, correct?"

I remembered my dream, the beautiful white comet, the one absorbed by the planet, and then the dark meteor that still made me shiver. "The Crisis, do you mean Jenova?"

She nodded her head, "That is the name given to it, correct. The three meteors are its Children, and Sephiroth is the one that was greater than the Crisis ever was."

"What about the other two?" I didn't know Sephiroth had any siblings, not that I knew much about the silver haired man besides Nibelheim, Meteor, Geostigma, and of course, Aerith.

Minerva's smile turned wistful, "The white one was the one known as Angeal, who meant no harm. His story ended before he could overcome the Crisis' control. Genesis… He has become my own personal champion, and fights now with his brother in the Lifestream. Your mission, Marlene, is to prevent the Crisis from influencing these three, and not let Sephiroth descend into insanity."

My bravery wavered, "Sephiroth?" I squeaked. I had never actually seen him outside of old photos, but I was tightly knit into the pain and destruction he caused. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Minerva took a step closer and cupped my cheek. "Be yourself. Even as a child, you have possessed a trait common to all Cetra, the ability to care and love all. You see someone hurting, and you want to heal them. Use this trait to overcome the Crisis."

I stole myself and nodded my head. I could do this. Whatever this was, I could…

"Wallace, Marlene!" My eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice shouted. Minerva was no longer standing in front of me, but a tall, wide man dressed in a green uniform with a bushy black beard. I took a step back and gasped when I realized I was no longer in Aerith's church, but a large metal room filled with…

SOLDIERs?

"Wallace!" My attention snapped back to the man, who was obviously starting to lose his temper.

"Um, yes sir?" I asked quietly. What in the world was going on? SOLDIER disbanded, so why was I in a room full of them, and who was this guy in front of me?

More importantly, how in Gaia's name did I get here?

The man seemed to grow more irate, "Are you not paying attention, girl? I called your name, get to the 67th floor now!"

I jumped slightly when I felt someone's hand wrap around mine and tug slightly. "Come on," the SOLDIER beside me whispered. Not knowing what else to do, I followed him as he lead me towards a pair of doors. My heart jumped to my throat as I read the plaque on the metal wall- SHINRA TRAINING ROOM 5. Shinra? Shinra was no more!

"Don't tell me you went partying last night with the others," the SOLDIER said as soon as we were outside the training room, and in a brightly lit hall with a marble floor and richly painted walls. "Don't you remember the last time you went out with Luxiere and Zack?"

"No," I answered truthfully as I followed him down the hallway, my mind racing for answers as I tried not to panic. Instead, I tried to focus on the man leading me, though since he was dressed in the maroon colored uniform with the SOLDIER helmet on his head there wasn't much to see besides a little bit of brown hair sticking out from beneath his helmet, and the ridiculous muscles of his arms.

He glanced back at me, "Exactly! Before I met you, I didn't think that alcohol related amnesia was anything but a myth."

I stopped and put my hands on my hips, "I don't drink!" I defended. I grew up in the bar, and I never wanted to become drunk and make a fool out of myself. He scoffed and copied my pose.

"Really? I suppose that was some other Marlene Wallace who was banned from the Goblin Bar for starting a fight after some guy got a little too friendly."

"Yes!" It had to be, because the only bar I had ever been to was 7th Heaven. The man shook his head and continued his way down the hall. I hesitated for a moment before jogging to catch up with him. He was my only way to get out of here, and hopefully figure out what happened. "Um, so… What's your name?" I started out, making him suddenly stop and sigh.

"Really Marlene. I know you're against the helmets, but its mandatory. You should be able to recognize my voice." I was sure he was glaring at me behind the helmet, so I just offered a sheepish smile. "Oh for Gaia's sake, I'm Kunsel. The next time you do that I'm going to start making up names," he shook his finger at me. "Now come on, Hojo will get upset if you're late for your Mako treatment. The last SOLDIER Candidate who was late…"

"SOLDIER Candidate?" I interrupted, my eyes large with surprise and fear. "What, but, I…"

"What? You've been working on this for over a year now." Kunsel grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway. "You are not turning tail after finally being transferred from the Infantry. Not after all the work Zack, Luxiere, and I did to train you. Besides, Lezi would kill you if you passed this up. " I wanted to ask who they were, where I was, and what was going on, but strangely the words wouldn't pass from my lips. I felt warmth seep through my shirt, and my free hand went to the sapphire pendent around my neck. The warm stone was comforting, and just touching it caused my courage to swell. If this was real, and not a very strange dream, then this was my path to becoming a hero.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: I** just want to thank all of you and your positive feedback! I was wary about posting this story, but seeing people like it I'll continue!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: SOLDIER<strong>

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><p>I fidgeted as I sat in a bland waiting room. Others sat around conversing quietly, some dressed in plain clothes like myself, others in MP and SOLDIER uniforms. The 67th floor turned out to be the science department of Shinra. I was astonished to learn from the calendar on the secretary's desk that I had been flung decades into the past, a few years before the incident at Nibelheim ever happened. The sight of Midgar still being constructed below us through the window seemed to prove the calendar right. Minerva hadn't said anything about time travel, but the more I reflected on her words I realized she had alluded to it.<p>

Sephiroth. Genesis. Angeal. I guess I had to find the three, and stop Jenova from influencing them. I wondered how hard that would be. I didn't even know who Genesis and Angeal were, and Sephiroth was the SOLDIER hero. It would probably be impossible to get close to him.

However, I had too, as scary as the thought was. He was the man that killed Aerith, and tried to destroy the planet twice.

This was before all that happened though. Who knew what he was like now? Cloud and Tifa, the only people I knew who had actually known Sephiroth, never talked much about what he was like before. Now faced with the situation, I was morbidly curious. Was he anything like his remnants? Quiet Yazoo, childish Loz, and devious Kadaj?

"Zack and Luxiere say congratulations," Kunsel broke the silence between us. I glanced over at the SOLDIER sitting next to me; since we had sat down, he hadn't stopped playing with his phone. "And they send their condolences."

I frowned, "What?"

Before he answered, the office door opened, revealing a scientist in a long white lab coat. Thankfully, not Hojo, whom I was dreading meeting. Hopefully, I would never meet the insane psychopath. "Adrian, Richard; Languah, Nick; Pierce, Kevin." Three of the MPs stood up, shaking the hands of the SOLDIERs that were beside them before following the scientist into the back room.

"They're sorry you have to go through the Mako process," Kunsel continued once the door closed. He must have seen the confused expression on my face, since he sighed and flipped his phone shut. "We told you that the physical exam wasn't the hard part. The next part is the Mako showers and injections. Of course, for most of it you'll be sedated, so you won't remember most of it. Still, it's pretty unpleasant."

I blanched as Kunsel returned to his phone. I had completely forgotten about the Mako showers. Some of the people living in Edge who frequented 7th Heaven were ex-SOLDIERs, and I had overheard many of them tell horror stories of the Mako showers. Then there was the time Cloud had suffered from Mako poisoning. Neither Tifa nor Cloud would talk about it, but dad and the others would sometimes. His mind had totally been shattered, as many who were doused with Mako.

Not for the first time, I wondered if I could really go through with becoming a SOLDIER. Obviously, this is what Minerva intended, but what did I know? Sure, after an scary encounter with some thugs, dad had made sure I could take care of myself. Tifa had taken me under her wing and taught me the basics of martial arts, and Yuffie had made sure I knew how to pick pockets and the basics of rope tying. Actually, almost all of Avalanche had taught me how to fight with various weapons and techniques.

But I had never actually fought. The only things I had attacked were targets and dummies. Now I was going to become a SOLDIER?

Not even Cloud had been a true SOLDIER.

The door opened and once more a scientist stepped out and read from the tablet in his hands. "Rech, Lee; Tallon, Eric; Wallace, Marlene." I was frozen for a moment before Kunsel ruffled my hair much like Denzel tended to do.

"Just relax, you'll be alright." I looked up at Kunsel, but could only see the slight smile since the rest of his face was hidden by his helmet. I nodded my head as I slowly stood up. This was it. I could do this. I could do this. I repeated the mantra under my breath as I walked towards the scientist, but it wasn't doing a very good job of stopping the rising panic. Me? A SOLDIER? Not even Cloud was strong enough to become a SOLDIER, and he was the strongest person I knew!

The door closed just as I followed the scientist and the other SOLDIER candidates into the cold sterile hall. I flinched slightly as I gave the door a pleading look before hurrying to catch up with the group. The hallway gave way into a large room. In the center were two large semi-circle counters lined with monitors, and dozens of scientists tapping on keyboards or studying the screens intently. The scientist that had been leading us went to the counter and began talking quietly with another scientist.

"I'm so psyched!" The dark skinned man next to me exclaimed loudly, drawing everyone's attention for a spare moment.

"Be quiet," the other boy-he couldn't be any older than thirteen, hushed as he crossed his lightly colored arms. "Do you really want to annoy the people who will hold your life in their hands?"

"Tch, relax for once, Eric! We're SOLDIERs now!" Lee's grin widened as he looked over to me. "Marlene, right? Rumor has it that you already have a few friends in SOLDIER."

I smiled hesitantly and shrugged my shoulders. "Something like that."

"It makes me wonder," Eric said darkly as he looked towards me with a snide expression. "Zack Fair is one of them, and it's no secret he's close to the 1sts. Not very many women are chosen to be in SOLDIER, especially when they're civilians and not Shinra MPs."

"Are you insinuating something?" I felt my temper rise slightly, which was absurd. For all I knew, he could be right.

The young teen's snide look became an all out sneer. "I'm just pointing out a very unlikely coincidence."

"Eric, quit it." Lee scolded his friend. For a moment, I was thankful before he continued. "So what if she got some help into the program, I think SOLDIER is in desperate need of some hot-looking babes."

It felt as if I was no longer a hundred-percent in control of my body as my anger suddenly flared, and my fingers clenching into a fist. "I did not cheat!" The words seethed out of my mouth of their own accord. "I worked just as hard, if not harder, than anyone else!"

Both Lee and Eric turned fully towards me, settling into stances that could easily change from sedentary to offensive. However, before a fight could ensue, our names were called out and all three of us looked up to the nurse waiting at the corridor across the room. "Come with me," she stated before marching down the hall. None of us hesitated before following her down the sterile hall lined with doors locked with keypads. Behind them, I could barely hear muffled speaking, and rarely what sounded like a scream. Fear started to creep up my spine, how painful was this going to be?

"Rech," The nurse said coldly as she paused at a door, tapped in a short code before it slide open to reveal a bland procedure room. Lee punched Eric in the shoulder lightly before entering the room. We watched as the door slid shut behind him with an ominous click before the nurse shuffled us a few more doors down to an open roomed assigned for Eric. The young teen didn't give a glance to me before entering the room, leaving me alone with the nurse.

Not for long. She merely turned across the hall and opened the door. "Wallace." I gulped before stealing my courage and entering the room. To my surprise, the nurse followed me in and went directly to the cupboards. She pulled out a familiar hospital gown, as well as a few vials, syringes, and bandages.

"What are those for?" I asked as she arranged them in order on a tray next to the exam bed.

"Prophylactic antibiotics and a sedative," she answered shortly. "Leave your clothes folded on the chair, and take a seat on the exam table. Either Doctor Hollander or Hojo will be with you shortly." My eyes flew open wide as she left, the door locking shut.

Hojo? I was going to meet Hojo? _WHILE WEARING A HOSPITAL GOWN?_

Page 3


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for such a long hiatus! Here's chapter three!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Meeting of Past and Present<strong>

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><p>Why is it that doctors don't have clocks in their exam rooms? I tried to distract myself from the predicament at hand by forcing myself to think trivial things like that and not on the syringes. The exam table was cold to my bare legs, and I partly wished I would have just left my jeans on and hadn't followed the nurse's orders. I think the only thing that was keeping me from running was the warm strength radiating from my necklace. It also served as a reminder why I was doing this. The Planet had chosen me to become a hero. I wasn't about to give this once in a lifetime chance up.<p>

There wasn't a polite knock before the door slid open, making me jump. I clutched the sapphire tightly, expecting the slimy scientist I had only heard in stories. Tall, thin, with greasy black hair and a pale, yet slightly greenish complexion. The man that entered, however, could have passed as Santa with the heavy potbelly, messy white hair and beard. He didn't even seem to notice me as he flipped through a paper chart and sat a clear box filled with what looked like Mako vials on the desk. Even though I had never seen Hojo for myself, I was pretty sure this wasn't the same man.

"So, Lazard finally allowed another female SOLDIER, eh?" He finally set down the chart down and looked over at me. Not exactly sure who Lazard was, I simply nodded my head. After that, silence filled the room as he filled filled the syringes with the vials the nurse had taken out.

"How exactly does the Mako treatments work?" I asked to fill the silence, my eyes locked

"The exact science is far too complex for you to understand," he waved the question off seconds before quickly moving the robe revealing my outer thigh and plunging the first needle in. I bit back a cry as the concoction of what was supposedly antibiotics and a sedative burned through my leg. It wasn't long before blackness crept in on the corner of my vision and the room started to swim. I tried to fight the sudden exhaustion that swept through my body, but it wasn't long before I fell back on the table.

I must have slipped into dreaming as the table became warm and liquid. The water rose over my shoulders and up my neck, and hands started to grab at me from below the surface to pull me down. I thrashed in the liquid, trying to fight off the dozens of hands grabbing desperately at any part they could find. Screams and pleading filled my ears, the voices not muffled by the water in the slightest.

I was drowning. They were pulling me down so I would suffer their fate of death. No matter how hard I fought, every hand that was shaken off was quickly replaced by another. I finally opened my mouth to scream, and felt a pulse originate from the gem still around my neck. The howling voices died away, replaced by Minerva's soft voice. "Relax, child. Nothing will hurt you here." The hands no longer dragged me down, but held me aloft as I floated in the liquid, just as my father had when he was teaching me how to float. "Shinra may have stolen this power for their SOLDIERs, but for you it is freely given."

X.x.X.x.X

_Beep. _

_Tap tap tap tap._

_Beep._

_Tap tap tap tap. _

I shifted deeper into the blankets, the cool air nipped at any exposed skin. The sound of rustling cloth made me open my eye slightly, only to smile slightly when I noticed Cloud's spiky hair cast in shadow, making the blond locks look black. "Marlene? How ya feeling?" He leaned forward in the shadow, his glowing blue eyes looking at me.

"Cold," I answered honestly, halfway tempted to fall back asleep. I felt exhausted, and my mind more than a little foggy. I was surprised when Cloud laughed loudly. It wasn't that often when he laughed so carefree.

"Yeah, I can never understand why they have to keep it so cold in here. I could probably get that cute nurse to get your another blanket." Cute nurse? I woke up completely, that didn't sound like Cloud at all. Nurse?

How could I have forgotten? I wasn't at Seventh Heaven. I had been flung into the past. That meant whoever sitting next to the hospital bead _wasn't_ Cloud. I tried to sit up, only for the room to spin and a wave of nausea wash over me. "Woah!" There was a bucket shoved into my lap moments before I dry heaved. "No quick movements. You're going to feel sick for the next couple of days." He rubbed my back soothingly. "Take it easy, okay?"

I nodded my head before the door suddenly opened, flooding the small room with light. In the doorway stood an irate looking nurse, "Fair, I told you three times that you can't stay…" The nurse's eyes widened when she looked at me. "Oh! You're awake! Still, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Zack. If one of the doctors find out that I've let you visit, we'll both be in trouble."

"But Mary Sue!" Zack whined. Under the bright light, the differences between Zack and Cloud were more obvious, though there were still a lot of similarities. He was around my age, his hair spiky but black. His eyes were the same blue as Cloud's, but there was a playful light that I had never seen in Cloud's expression.

"No buts, out!"

Zack pouted, but only for a moment before smiling at me. "I'll see you after training, I guess. Oh! before I forget, here!" He stood up and pulled what looked like a small book out of his pants pocket. "Your roomie said you'd probably want it."

I accepted the book, the word journal imprinted on the hard leather cover. I offered him a smile, "Thanks Zack."

He grinned and winked playfully, "No problem. See ya later!"

After he left, I focused on the journal in my hands. There was nothing special to it, it was a simple hard cover book. No pictures or doodles on the front like the one I had hidden beneath my bed back at 7th Heaven.

I opened the front cover. On the inside was taped a small photograph of a group of three boys and two girls- one of which was myself. Me and the other girl was linked arm in arm, laughing at something- probably at two of the boys behind us, making a ridiculous pose. Zack was most prominent, his black hair messy as he made a silly face at the camera, the same with the ruddy teen next to him. The ruddy teen was almost identical to the last boy, standing a ways away giving us a disbelieving look while smiling.

In colored pencil arrows pointed towards the picture. 'Zack' was in a dark blue, while 'Kunsel' was in a maroon color pointing to the aloof boy, and 'Luxiere' in a similar color pointing to his twin. 'Lezi' was in a bright pink, pointing to the black haired girl besides me. The names were familiar- I remembered what Kunsel had said before the treatments. So… these were my friends now?

The next page was in my own handwriting. "_To start off, Lezi, don't you dare read this or I promise on all that is holy I will hand your journal over to Luxiere and Kunsel. And Zack… Well, I just find your girl-of-the –month and tell her a few of your secrets. And Luxiere and/or Kunsel… Lezi's journal is behind her Harlequin romance series. Go read that instead._

_Alright then, it's just me and you then. You hopefully being the older me. Obviously this is a journal. I don't know if I'll remember, but the other night I had this really weird dream about a meteor breaking into three, and woke up with a strange need to start a journal. I'm probably being really paranoid -or maybe that's superstitious- but I decided to go with it._

_Where to start this at? Well, I was born in Corel about sixteen years ago. I don't know much about my birth parents, but the Wallace family took me in and helped raised me. Their oldest son, Barret, is my big brother, and his friends Dyne and Eleanor were my best friends too. Life in Corel wasn't too bad, especially as far as small towns go. But I was too bored back then. I always had a passion to carve out my own path, to have a real adventure, and to be a hero. That's why I moved here to Midgar and tried to join SOLDIER. Except Midgar wasn't as glamorous as I thought. While I applied to SOLDIER right away, before I was hired I needed a place to live, and a short-term job. _

_That's when I met Lezi. She's a Shinra Trooper and a SOLDIER wannabe too. She's applied to SOLDIER so many times I heard, that Director Lazard knows all her information by heart and always save one position in the Exams for her. However, while she's a good Trooper, she's been told time and again she's not SOLDIER material. It doesn't keep her from applying every chance she has. _

_Anyways, I met here when I just started waitressing at the Goblin Bar. A fight had broken out, and I helped try to calm things down while some of my coworkers called for help. After the mess was contained, she had told me she was surprised to see someone fight so well in high-heel shoes. After that, we just started talking. It turned out she was looking for a roomie, and I was tired of the cot in the attic of the bar. _

_When I moved in with her, that's when I met Kunsel and Luxiere. The three of them have been friends since they were born –or so I was told. They all come from Kalm, and came to the city to become SOLDIERs. Kunsel and Luxiere were accepted on their first try. Now both of them are 2__nd_ _class SOLDIERs. While the two are twins, they couldn't be more different. _

_Kunsel is a know-it-all. I mean seriously, he probably knows every single rumor floating around the Shinra building- and knows which are true and which are false! He's really dedicated to his friends, and goes out of his way to make sure everyone's okay. He's not a real people person though, he has a strange sense of humor and loves to say I-told-you-so when we get into trouble. _

_Lux, on the other hand, loves to party. He's smart, don't get me wrong, but he's the type that takes orders and doesn't ask questions. He doesn't think before he acts most of the time, and that tends to get us all in trouble. But, he does know where the best parties are in Midgar, and who to rub elbows with to get what you want. A little shady, I'll admit, but he's cool. _

_Both of them practically live with Lezi and me, and just sleep at the SOLDIER complex. Lezi admits she likes it that way. I think there is a love triangle in there somewhere, but if anything serious is going on between the three I'm not sure. _

_Last of all, but certainly not least, is Zack. He's a friend of Kunsel and Lux, and he's a 2__nd_ _class SOLDIER right now, but on the fast track to being a 1__st__. And he's also Midgar's number one lady's man. I didn't know a guy who flirted so much, or who was so successful at it! He's hardly ever serious though, and while I'll wholeheartedly admit that he is rather cute, I don't think I'd go out with him even if he asked. He's a good friend, but boyfriend material he is not-unless you want a boyfriend that's been compared to a hyperactive puppy more than once. Between him and Lux, we're in no short supply of trouble. _

I smiled while I read through the pages, surprised how much the stories resembled my experiences with Denzel and our friends in Edge. However, my smile died as I turned another page to reveal another photograph. This one didn't have the four friends most of the journal focused on, but three different men. One had shocking red hair and a secretive smile, looking up from a white book to the photographer, while beside him stood a black haired man dressed in the standard 1st class who appeared deep in conversation with the one man I did recognize.

Sephiroth.


End file.
